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Saturday, October 30, 2010

I really don’t understand this. We have the Joy Behar meltdown which resulted in Sharron Angle getting $150,000 in donations. We have Bill Maher calling people who disagree with his far left extreme views “ignorant” and later going into a profanity laced rant. Finally, we have rank and file liberals having such angry tones in various blogs online.

Relax. Haven’t liberals lectured the tea party that anger is not the answer? So, why are their icons like Joy Behar going into hysterics and causing people like Sharron Angle to get so much money? And why are the rank and file liberals getting so frustrated? Don’t they take their own advice?

Liberals, don’t get so upset. Look at New York. Polls show that Status Cuomo is way up there. Rest easy. You’ll get more of the same. Big, bloated government, higher costs, more people who can afford it moving out of New York because of the out of control government waste. There are few businesses moving into New York unless they get corporate welfare, which means few reasonable private sector jobs. And now, Governor Paterson has announced a layoff of almost 900 state workers. The battle with the unions over that layoff will go beyond the end of Paterson’s time in office, so the mess will be dumped onto Cuomo. Cuomo likely has presidential ambitions. So, he’s probably going to push through on the layoffs so as to at least make it look like he tried to do something with New York’s fiscal mess. The attorney general’s office was a mere stepping stone, and Cuomo has places to go. It’s not like he would just stop at the governor’s office. That too will be a stepping stone. In fact, he’ll actually need to run for and win a second term in 2014 (not hard with those brass knuckles Eliot “the Steamroller” Spitzer says Cuomo has) so it’s not like he’s just going to do what he did in the attorney general’s seat. But then he could try for the White House in 2016.

Now, if you are concerned about state layoffs, there are two candidates that would probably stand against such things. They are Howie Hawkins of the Green Party and Charles Barron of the Freedom Party. Their solution is to just “tax the rich” and “cut tax cuts” even though “the rich” are in the best position to leave the state. I can’t tell you where Jimmy McMillan stands on this issue because his major issue is that “Rent. Is. Too. Damn. High.” And, McMillan has parlayed that into being parodied on Saturday Night Live and having a doll that looks like him. Mission accomplished for Jimmy McMillan’s “gubernatorial campaign” aka attempt at getting notoriety. Anyway, for those who want to tell Cuomo not to step all over state workers on his road to a possible future Democrat presidential nomination, I would think Hawkins or Barron would be your best bet.

Then there are the Senate races. Speaking of Joy Behar, there is another guy who likes to throw around the word she used. Unlike Behar who used it against a public figure (Sharron Angle), Schumer likes to use it on common, ordinary people such as flight attendants. See, Schumer likes big government regulation for other people, but not when it must also apply to him. He’s an elite Senator, you see. But liberals shouldn’t be too upset. Polls show New Yorkers want more of the same so they will likely be sending Schumer back. In fact, if Harry Reid does not win his seat (Nevada is not as “enlightened” as New York), Schumer could be the Democrats’ leader in the Senate.

Next we have Schumer’s rubber stamp who is great at letting Schumer do most of her thinking for her, Kirsten Gillibrand. He’s a lucky guy to get two votes in the US Senate. Polls show New Yorkers like Schumer so much that they will likely be sending his second vote back to the Senate for another two years. It’s funny how someone can change so much when they get a promotion. Kirsten Gillibrand as 20th district Congresswoman would hardly recognize Kirsten Gillibrand as Senator. People in the district she formerly represented seem to notice the difference. I’m not sure if she was a phony then or if she’s a phony now.

So, I just don’t get the level of anger from liberals, especially in New York. They’re going to get the same old. Then they can complain about the costs here in New York. They should be happy with the big government waste for which they will be voting. Better yet, they’re just going to vote for the boring nonsense Democrat candidates. But if they really want some new and seriously left leaning ideas, they have a plethora of third party candidates for whom they could vote.

Since liberals suggest that their policies have been good for America (such as the FAILED “stimulus” that was supposed to keep unemployment at or below 8%), they should have nothing to be worried about. All Democrat candidates should be running 20% ahead of their nearest opponent as the populace chants “hope and change” and “yes we can.” Oh, wait, we already had that. It was called 2008. Now the fad is over.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Scott Murphy's (D NY-20) campaign seems to be in a freefall as we head towards election day. From the campaign releasing an advertisement showing a digitized version of his opponent, Colonel Chris Gibson, riding an alligator and accusing Gibson of "feeding on the middle class" to supporters sending our mailers with ludicrous accusations, the stench of desperation is huge.

But a recent accusation on a mailer takes the cake. It accuses Gibson of being against tax cuts for small businesses. If that's not bad enough, the mailer gives absolutely no indication of what entity or organization paid for the ad. The law requires that mailers indicate the group responsible for the mailers. The Gibson campaign will be turning these over for investigation. Of course, this is an easy risk for Murphy supporters as they can make this accusation at the end of campaign season and deal with the consequences later --- when authorities will likely have to sort through numerous complaints from many campaigns. After a bruising election season, such things will not be covered by the media and with the results decided, the general public will not care after November 2nd.

Scott Murphy needs to denounce such tactics. He championed the so-called DISCLOSE Act, claiming he is for openness and transparency. It's truly sad that he does not seem to be so concerned about such things from his supporters now that he is running behind in polls.

But then, this is nothing new. Murphy claims he wants to help small businesses, get the government out of the way, etc. But he votes almost 90% with Nancy Pelosi's agenda.....which grows government and gets it involved with more and more of our lives, creating a terrible environment for small businesses.

Let's hope enough voters see through the Scott Murphy smoke and mirrors on November 2nd.

Regardless of what is said below, tea party members and others concerned about the direction of our country must get out to vote. We have some promising congressional elections even if not such good polling in statewide elections.We might be a minority in New York, but we should show ourselves to be as large of a minority as possible.

New York is a deep blue state. The majority of people continue to vote in status quo big government politicians, and there seems to be little outrage when things like the VLT scandal are revealed. Despite the loss of 1.5 million people (according to a print only article in the Albany Times Union a few Sundays back) for states with lower costs, the majority of voters seem to just want more of the same in mediocrity, high property taxes, and an environment where chosen businesses will only relocate to the state if they get enough corporate welfare. Of course, that corporate welfare ultimately costs the middle and lower classes in higher land taxes to pay for more government services, but people don’t care. As to the 1.5 million who left for less expensive states, as New York is one of the best states for welfare and Medicaid, they can be replaced by people who will continue to vote in the status quo. The burden to pay for this will of course fall on a smaller and smaller group of people who cannot afford to move out.

There was never a question that Andrew Cuomo was going to win the governor’s race as polls show. This is New York. New Yorkers seem to want the status quo(mo). A nobody with a “D” after their name could win. Yet for some reason, due to the frustration people are feeling, Cuomo’s statements in the 90 Minute Comedy Variety Show Starring Jimmy McMillan (aka the 2010 New York Gubernatorial Debate), occasionally seemed to reflect tea party ideals. Of course, they were packaged in a polished career politician style presentation. I doubt Cuomo will actually stick to these ideals once he takes over. What will be more interesting is to see the share of the vote given to Paladino. The self-proclaimed “steamroller” won nearly 70% of the vote against John Faso in 2006. Had the uninspiring and boring Rick Lazio remained on the ticket, I suspect he would have been lucky to get 25% of the vote. Paladino could win a higher share of the votes.

In one of the US Senate races, a majority of New Yorkers will likely choose Chuck Schumer, a man who likes big government regulations but does not agree with personally following them. When he was told to turn off his cell phone by a flight attendant, he called her a filthy name. Schumer’s rubber stamp, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, was sitting next to him when he did that and did not seem to have a problem with it. But then, she defers to Schumer most of the time anyway. Despite the Democrats protecting Gillibrand from any serious primary challenge, and despite her near total change in position from her days as Congresswoman from the 20th District, a majority of New Yorkers will likely vote to give Schumer what is basically his “second vote” (the only US Senator to have one) for two more years.

In the attorney general and comptroller races, it is likely that the candidate with a “D” after their name will win.

As an uber liberal state, the tea party in New York is small compared to other states. But let’s look at what the tea party has done in NY. The favored candidates by the dysfunctional New York State Republican Party to run for the governor’s race and the Gillibrand Senate seat were beaten by tea party favored outsiders who had to gather signatures to get into the primary. At least for a time, Cuomo did not have smooth sailing to the governor’s mansion. This is a step.

While other states which are more centrist or conservative leaning may see the status quo changed in the 2010 election, things will be far more gradual in New York. We can’t expect serious change in one election cycle. Change will take several election cycles here. Some might point to Massachusetts where Scott Brown won and ask why the same can’t happen in NY. First, Brown is a RINO. Second, he won in a special election where people from all over the country could concentrate their efforts. In 2010, New York is competing with almost every other state. Even some in New York may be helping candidates who are from states where they have a better chance to win. Certainly there is very little outside help coming in.

So, while liberals might be quick to use tunnel vision and focus on New York as some sort of barometer of tea party success, it’s just wishful thinking on their part. Rather than being discouraged, we can look at what is happening in other states. Clearly, not enough people have woken up in New York. But don’t worry. Just give the projected winners time to wake more people up. Conditions in New York will get worse. Whether people become part of the “tea party” movement or not, more and more will see that there is a problem as time goes on. A few more election cycles will be needed before New York catches up to much of the rest of the country.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

New York's 20th congressional district has a huge Republican advantage in party registrations compared to Democrats. The 2006 election season was largely a Democrat year. Combined with the fact that all sorts of negative news came out about sleazy ex-Congressman John Sweeney, Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand was able to take the seat. In 2008, Gillibrand easily won reelection. In early 2009, then New York Senator Hillary Clinton was given the consolation prize of Secretary of State since she lost the Democrat primary to the so-called "hope and change" candidate. While Caroline "y'know" Kennedy was assumed to be the frontrunner to replace Hillary, ultimately the seat went to Kirsten Gillibrand. With the departure of Hillary, Chuck Schumer then TRULY became New York's senior Senator, even though he had held that title on paper since 2001. Gillibrand provided him with an extra perk in my view: she has basically given in to him for at least 90% of her voting decisions.

Anyway, in the race to fill Gillibrand's seat via special election, the Republicans nominated then New York State Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco. The Democrats had to pick through a bunch of no-name candidates. It was expected that Tedisco would handily win, and a Democrat had to run as the sacrificial lamb.

Scott Murphy, who had lived in Glens Falls for around three years by the 2009 race, happened to have a lot of money. He was chosen over nearly three dozen other candidates --- many of whom likely lived in the district far longer --- because of money.

While Tedisco spent years in the NYS Assembly and had a long record of accomplishments, the Republican National Committee came along and basically ran ads simply bashing Scott Murphy. Murphy was a nobody in the area....until the RNC gave him all sorts of free publicity. They created sympathy for the man with their attack ads. Even among conservatives, there was disappointment with these kinds of ads.

When Tedisco finally asserted control over his campaign and ran some positive ads, it was too late. The damage was done. Murphy had been given name recognition by the other side and generated sympathy.

What should have been a landslide victory in a heavily Republican district turned out to be too close to call. After seesawing for weeks, Murphy won by a few hundred votes and Tedisco conceded.

Fast forward to 2010. Despite Murphy's claims that he is a business man, cares about small business, wants to get the government out of the way, blah blah blah, he has established a record of voting nearly 90% with Nancy Pelosi to expand the federal government. District residents have felt he ignored them and instead listened to his union DC Democrat masters. His campaign war chest is loaded with donations from "safe" Democrats, Wall Street, big unions, trial lawyers, etc.

Murphy started releasing ads. Some ads were positive about himself, though they did not talk specifics about his extensive DC record supporting Pelosi's agenda. Other groups released ads touting the fact that Murphy has Sunday dinners with 52 family members as some sort of reason why he belongs in Congress. (Maybe if he is retired from Congress he could eat with those 52 family members every night of the week?) Another one touted the jobs he created, except they forgot to mention that many were in India.

But then Murphy started releasing attack ads against his opponent, Colonel Chris Gibson. One ad has a wild accusation about Gibson cutting Medicare by 75% when the Colonel has never been in Congress! Another one showed Gibson riding an alligator, gobbling things up. Murphy's ads tend to mention Gibson's name. Even in the "I approve this message" part of the ad, Murphy has been shown mentioning Gibson's name. He should have been saying "My opponent" if he had to reference Gibson at all. Strategically, it is just foolish for the incumbent to provide free publicity for the challenger.

Did Murphy learn anything from the 2009 campaign which greatly benefitted him?

Evidently not. Murphy's poll numbers are down into the final week of election season. Murphy needs to be "rescued" by Bill Clinton on the day before election day. (Bad idea to have such a high profile candidate this late into the race.) It just doesn't look good.

Should Murphy be toppled, some of this will be due to his advertising mistakes, along with ignoring many in his constituency and false statements about Colonel Gibson such as the Medicare accusation.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Incumbent Democrat Scott Murphy (D-NY 20), one of the eight flip floppers on ObamaCare, released a rather entertaining ad this week, full of the standard Democrat class warfare fear inducing rhetoric. The ad reeks of desperation.

Murphy’s campaign press release presents this as if it’s something serious. The fast pace combined with the comical nature of the ad leave the viewer questioning whether the campaign really took any of these issues seriously when giving their okay for this ad. A slower pace with depressing music might have done a slightly better job delivering these tired old Democrat talking points.

The graphics were creative and the ad was likely expensive to produce. Of course, when one’s campaign gets all sorts of money from Democrats in “safe” districts, as well as Wall Street, trial lawyers, big business, big unions, and other liberal groups, he has money to throw around. And why wouldn’t he get this money? Afterall, Murphy was a good Pelosi lapdog, voting with her almost 90% of the time. He served as an excellent representative of Nancy Pelosi to New York’s 20th Congressional District.

The ad could basically be a template. It’s just standard talking points from the left, hoping to reach those who don’t bother to study the issues. Insert any Republican in there, make a couple of minor adjustments, and it could be used for any desperate Democrat’s campaign.

So let’s look at the ad. Colonel Gibson, a man who put his life on the line for our country, is shown riding an alligator, being accused of getting ready to “feed on the middle class.” Ridiculous, silly, and shameful, all at the same time. The first point is whining about Gibson wanting “tax cuts for the wealthy” and claims it will “add $700 billion to the deficit.” Excuse me? Supporting the extension of the Bush tax cuts across the board does not add $700 billion to the deficit. There is no guarantee that the government is actually going to take in an extra $700 billion in tax revenue as a result of letting the Bush tax cuts expire. In fact, with the Obama Recession and continued uncertainty from employers about the mess that is ObamaCare, tax revenue will continue to remain low. Employers aren’t sure about hiring and that means less production. Less money because of lack of employment means less business revenue, which ultimately means less tax revenue. But the government could actually reduce its spending and stop adding to the deficit. However, that will never happen with the likes of the Pelosi/Reid Congress that is addicted to spending.

To borrow an Obama phrase (and remember, I don’t have a teleprompter), let me be clear. The one who has actually added (over) $700 billion to the deficit is none other than Scott Murphy’s boss, Nancy Pelosi, and her buddy Barack Obama, when they rammed the FAILED “stimulus” through.

Then the ad accuses Gibson of putting “more tax burdens on the middle class,” as Gibson rides an alligator which gobbles up a family. Mr. Murphy was the one who put more tax burdens on the middle class. He claimed he wanted to extend the Bush tax cuts for the middle class. But then he voted with Speaker Pelosi and a majority of Democrats to adjourn Congress before helping the middle class. I can only conclude that getting home early to work on his campaign was truly more important to Mr. Murphy than helping the middle class. The vote was 210-209. Had he voted the other way, it could have been a tie and this may have prevented adjournment from happening.

Next it shows the gator gobbling up a building, accusing Gibson of wanting to eliminate the Department of Education. It follows by claiming this will raise property taxes by $800 per year. What? Eliminating mandates from faceless bureaucrats in DC will raise property taxes? Oh please. Maybe if the schools would get the salaries of their administrators (not to mention the sheer number of administrators and assistants) under control as well as other costs, New York would no longer have a reputation of having some of the worst property taxes in the nation. (Let’s not forget the costs of bureaucrat salaries, office space, supplies, equipment, energy, building maintenance, etc. saved with the elimination of a bloated federal department. That too could reduce additional deficit spending.)

As Gibson is accused of raising property taxes, the gator gobbles up a house, revealing scenery that just does not look like it belongs in Upstate NY. Well, that’s understandable. What can we expect from the gentleman from Missouri? Scott Murphy spent a great deal of time in Missouri. Having lived less than three years in Glens Falls, he then decided to run for Congress from New York’s 20th district. Therefore, with such little time in the area, I can fully understand how Murphy would approve an ad showing scenery that simply does not belong in Upstate NY.

Scott Murphy could have taken this final week to make the “closing argument” on a positive note. He should have touted his support for the “stimulus,” the second “stimulus,” ObamaCare, the Disclose Act, and all the rest of the Obama/Pelosi agenda he supported, which has added to the deficit and kicked the costs on to future generations. He could have explained why he felt this would be good for New York’s 20th district. He should have gone on a positive note. No, having dinner with 52 relatives is not a reason to send someone to Congress. But he should have been able to use his record to demonstrate why he feels he deserves another term. Instead, he chose to release a desperate ad full of standard Democrat fearmongering talking points. What a shameful and pathetic way to end the campaign season.

But at the same time, in my opinion it’s a very entertaining way to expose desperation…

Reports are coming out from NY's 25th congressional district that Republican Ann Marie Buerkle's signs were vandalized last night. One of them was covered with swastikas. The signs were located on East Taft Rd in Syracuse, NY.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

There are so few days between now and election day. There are numerous Democrat Senators and Congresspersons who need a boost in their sagging fortunes. Obama has been campaigning for various politicians, but his track record of campaigning for politicians such as Jon Corzine (ex-governor of New Jersey) and Martha Coakley (failed candidate for US Senate from Massachusetts) is not so good — in blue states, no less. Enter Bill Clinton. Clinton is doing marathon campaigning, causing liberals to get all nostalgic about his days as president. It’s so strange how they didn’t have that nostalgia just a couple of years ago when he had an opportunity to reenter the White House as a “tag along,” so to speak.

Anyway, with such limited time, Clinton has to be sent to the places where he is needed most. Democrats who will be coasting to reelection can’t take away from his precious time. In New York’s 20th Congressional district, we have a “nice guy” named Scott Murphy. He tells us he’s a businessman and he created jobs (forgetting to mention where those jobs were created) and that he wants to get the government out of the way. Sounds great. But there is one teeny tiny little problem. Murphy has this pesky and annoying thing called a record. It’s really a nuisance and something he didn’t have to deal with when he ran the first time around. Murphy’s record of voting for almost all of Nancy Pelosi’s big government binges sort of contradicts all this cutesy talk about supporting small business and wanting to get the government out of the way.

Murphy said he supported the so-called “stimulus.” (He was unable to vote for it because he was not in office at the time of the vote.) He voted for Cap and Trade. He flip flopped and voted for ObamaCare. He voted for the second stimulus for his big union buddies, “paying for it” by cutting future food stamps. (I thought Democrats like to proclaim they are for the poor?) He claimed he wanted to support extending the Bush tax cuts for middle and lower class Americans starting in 2011, but then voted to adjourn the House before this very important vote could take place. But we were told by liberals in their blogs that Murphy was absolutely going to win this race handily. Not only did people not want a Republican but they certainly did not want one that actually had tea party support!

Murphy’s campaign has lots of money from Democrat Congresspersons in safe seats. Afterall, he has carried their water and he was rewarded. He also has money from Wall Street, trial lawyers, and various other sources from outside the 20th district. He’s wealthy himself and can afford to loan money to his campaign. Surely money should do the trick. He could flood the airwaves with fables about his opponent, Colonel Chris Gibson. Murphy’s ads said Gibson cut Medicare by 75%. Gosh, isn’t that something? Colonel Gibson was overseas protecting our country, and has never been in Congress. But somehow, Murphy’s ad claims Gibson managed to do this. I’m not sure how that’s possible but Murphy’s ad said it happened.

So Murphy’s got money. He’s got this shtick about being a businessman who just wants to get the government out of the way (he just needs a laugh track to go along with it) and the liberals say he’s going to win. What more could he need? Well, evidently, something is going wrong. On the day before the election, Bill Clinton is taking precious time out of his very busy schedule to campaign with Scott Murphy. This is time that could be used to help other Democrats scrambling for votes. And if Murphy has this in the bag, why would Bill Clinton need to be sent here? It just seems so odd.

But maybe Scott Murphy and Bill Clinton will soon have something in common. I mean, Bill Clinton is out of office…

Chris Gibson, Republican candidate for NY's 20th congressional district is soaring in the polls, he's overcome a 17 point deficit in the Siena Poll and is nearly leading by double digits. The poll, which now projects Gibson as the clear frontrunner, shows Chris Gibson up by 9 points.

"Chris Gibson has completely erased a 17-point deficit and now takes a strong nine-point lead into the final week of the campaign against incumbent Scott Murphy," said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. "Republican voters have come home to Gibson. He had led by only 27 points and now leads by nearly 60 points among Republicans. He has also won over independents, who had previously sided with Murphy by a nearly two-to-one margin, and now give Gibson a seven-point lead."

The results have some serious implications, not just for NY-20. Siena has been the only non-partisan polling covering NY congressional races and nearly all the polls have swung in Democrats favor. This latest poll may actually give credence to all the favorable Republican polling in the area. Just last week, Republican polling had Gibson with a small, conservative two point lead.

If areas Republicans are indeed surging and previous Siena polling has been favoring Democrats, than there might be something to the Republican polling showing Ann Marie Buerkle up one point as opposed to trailing by 12.

Monday, October 25, 2010

The NY press corps, really, really wants Andrew Cuomo to be the next governor, which is why they are busy lampooning absolutely ever other candidate running against him, no matter how fringe those candidates may be. I called them out on Carl Paladino and on Jimmy McMillan. Now it's my duty to point out their latest victim, Elliot Spitzer's Madam, Krisin Davis of the Anti-Prohibition Party.

After last week's gubernatorial debate, NY Post published the following on Kristin Davis:

IT IS a mark of the low comic absurdity of last night's lolla palooza that there were only two people who sounded even minimally comfortable last night, and one of them was a hooker -- Kristin Davis, the former "Manhattan Madam" who talked about the danger of high taxes when she wasn't reading ghostwritten one-liners about the difference between her brothel and the MTA from a cheat sheet in her lap. In the Daily Caller today, Kristin Davis responded and trumped NY Post's "she's a hooker" hand with the sexism card:

To downplay my performance by saying I used "cheat sheets" is just ridiculous. Can I not be blonde and smart? Can I not read the paper and have my own opinions on the issues? Perhaps my jokes were just too good.

I understand that being blonde, and a former madam, lends itself to a certain stereotype, and I constantly fight to dispel such misperceptions. It would probably be easier to just buy a $6.00 bottle of hair dye and go dark, which would immediately increase my IQ level. However, I refuse to give in to such stereotypes and change myself when it's what I'm saying that's important — not how I look.

Perhaps I should have just written notes on my hand. Or put them in my bra and pulled them out on stage. Now that would have generated press coverage.

Kristin Davis is correct, NY Post was being sexist. Why can't a woman and brothel owner be as articulate as her former clients? Does the press really need to stoop this deep in the muck?

But, the madam shouldn't get confused over the Post's low blow. It wasn't the hair thing; it was the prostitution business thing. Either way, I've got to thank Kristin Davis. She will now always be remembered by me, as the candidate who threatened to dye their hair for votes.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Mary has been an organizer for the local liberty movement since April of 2009 and is currently the organizer for Renewing the Republic, a group that encourages grassroots involvement in the political process. http://www.meetup.com/RenewingtheRepublic/

Part of me can’t help but feel sorry for Congressman Scott Murphy, to be so completely out of touch and overwhelmed by Chris Gibson. I believe Murphy labored under the delusion that his re-election was inevitable. Chris Gibson is a political neophyte, along with many on his staff. He also doesn’t have the millions of dollars Murphy has amassed from Wall Street donations and the leadership PACs of House members like Speaker Nancy Pelosi. However, Colonel Gibson is no stranger to battle after serving in the military for 24 years, deployed seven times, including four tours in Iraq. Gibson considers this a mission for which failure is not an option. Indeed the fate of the country depends on this race and others like it throughout the country.

This past week has been very bad for Congressman Murphy. A flawed Siena Poll released in August showed Murphy with a comfortable lead, yet his campaign still resorted to tired old political tactics. After a number of negative ads with false allegations (including Chris Gibson wants to ship jobs to China and privatize social security) two separate polls showed Murphy had blundered and Gibson now holds a lead of at least 2-3 points. Additionally momentum is clearly on Gibson’s side and voter turnout is a factor these polls can’t accurately predict.

Then there was the disastrous debate in Glens Falls on Tuesday night. Gibson supporters far outnumbered Murphy’s in his own backyard and the enthusiasm for Gibson is palpable. Not so much for Murphy. The Congressman stuck to the usual Democratic talking points and made the mistake of publicly declaring Gibson intends to ship jobs to China. In response the retired Colonel gave the best line of the campaign, “The only thing I’ve shipped overseas in the last decade has been myself and my paratroopers to fight for your freedom!” Murphy was floored and I believe the smug presumption that he would roll to victory was destroyed. Murphy’s red faced disdain contrasted sharply with the calm gravitas of Chris Gibson.

Thursday’s debate at WMHT didn’t go any better for Murphy. Unlike Tuesday night he managed to keep his cool, but the tension and nervousness on his face was obvious to all in the audience. Both men did fine in a field of the usual questions, but there was not the crushing blow Murphy needed to stop the momentum that continues to avalanche for Gibson or will convince voters that his record can be defended.

Perhaps the worst blow for Congressman Murphy this week came when Chris Gibson received the endorsement of the NFIB (National Federation of Independent Businesses), and Murphy received a disastrous “F” rating (with a score of 42%) for his Congressional votes that negatively impact small businesses. Murphy has based his campaign around his experience as a successful businessman who will create jobs and fight for the livelihood of other small businesspeople struggling throughout the district. In reality there is little the multi-millionaire venture capitalist− who owns a company that has outsourced jobs to India− has in common with the hurting small businesspeople of the 20th. The NFIB agreed and reminded Congressman Murphy that his votes will have a devastating impact on small businesses and the people throughout the 20th Congressional District. They gladly endorsed Gibson.

I almost feel bad for Congressman Murphy being so overwhelmed by Chris Gibson, but then I remember that for over a year many of us had rallied, called, written emails, spoken to his staff, and done anything we could to make the Congressman listen to our concerns. This was to no avail. Congressman Murphy voted with Pelosi 91% of the time and on bills that will be devastating to the future of my children and the country, including Cap and Trade, the Stimulus Package, and the Health Care abomination.

For Congressman Murphy on November 2 the people will speak again and this time he will have to listen.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

A couple weeks ago I drove past Rep. Dan Maffei's campaign headquarters in New York's 25th congressional district. It didn't look like anyone was inside, and there was only one guy standing outside. So I imagined what it must be like inside the campaign office of Dan Maffei....

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

A recent editorial from the Post-Standard Editorial Board asks voters to "Assume the Worst" about Ann Marie Buerkle because of the private nature of some of the organizations spending in this November's elections…

Voters: Don't be suckers. Ask yourselves: Why are those donors hiding? Is it because they know they are hijacking democracy? What's on their agenda? Outsourcing more jobs to China? Establishing One World Government? Lowering taxes only for the rich? Eliminating consumer safety standards? Boosting corporate subsidies and bailouts?

The charge seemed to waffle more on ad hominem than on actual logic. So, I decided to write the Post-Standard to see if the rule applies to them, or just the organizations they don't agree with.

Dear Post-Standard editorial board,

I have been puzzling over the editorial board's recent editorial "Assume the Worst."

According to the writers, one should assume the worst about an organization's political intentions when sources of funding are not made public.

Since the Post-Standard is a privately held company, I was wondering if you'd submit a list of your parent company's, Advance Publication, investors and the amounts that they have invested.

If you are unwilling to do so, I must by your editorial board's logic, assume the worst about Post-Standard's political views.

Best regards,Sam FosterReporter for Pajama's Media

Somehow, I doubt that such a list will be forthcoming. Thus, without any sunlight to who is running the Post-Standard, we must "Assume the Worst" of the Post-Standard for publishing "Assume the Worst" and tell you not to vote for Dan Maffei, because he must be held accountable to a third party organization.

Voters: don't be suckers; apply the Post-Standard's voting standard to the Post-Standard then realize that it is rubbish.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Career politician Paul Tonko, who spent decades in the New York State Assembly and is now running for reelection as Congressman for NY’s 21st District, explained his idea of “risk” during Thursday evening’s debate with challenger Ted Danz.

Paul Tonko served in the New York State Assembly from the 105th District, which has been heavily Democrat. As an incumbent, he had a good chance to win every two years. In fact, he never lost. Paul Tonko, in a video clip from August regarding his very generous New York State pension on top of a fantastic salary as a US House member, said “people commit to an industry.” Very few people are in such a sweet position as Mr. Tonko was for over twenty years: having the ability to run race after race in a district heavily favoring his party so he was basically a guaranteed winner each time. Sure, people in the private sector may stay at a job for twenty years, but they are in the private sector and there is never a guarantee that the company won’t go out of business or have a layoff. Even working as a NYS Civil Service employee entails some risk of a layoff. But Mr. Tonko’s former “company,” the NYS Assembly, will never go out of business or lay off anyone in his former position. He had an opportunity to “commit to an industry” like very few others in this country. On the other hand, one could basically conclude from his statement that being a career politician is indeed like an “industry.”

After more than twenty years in the New York State Assembly, Tonko was appointed to head NYSERDA in 2007. When former Congressman Mike McNulty decided not to run again in 2008, Tonko and various other Democrats vied for the position in a primary. As NY’s 21st Congressional District is heavily Democrat, combined with 2008 being the year when so-called “hope and change” was on the ballot, obviously whomever won the Democrat primary for the seat would be the next Congressman.

Tonko resigned from NYSERDA to run in the Democrat primary in early 2008. He applied for his very generous state retirement for all his many years as a career politician in the New York State Assembly.

When Tonko won the primary in mid-September 2008, he effectively won the general election. He faced only token Republican opposition. As noted above, this was a Democrat year. Upon taking office as a Congressman in January 2009, Tonko continued to receive his $64,000 per year retirement from New York State while receiving a BASE salary of $174,000 in the US House. In August, the NY Daily News awarded him as New York’s top double dipper among its Congressional delegation.

When the question was brought up in Thursday’s debate, Tonko said he took a “risk” and had no idea whether he would win the primary. Thus he “had” to take his New York State retirement. First, nobody asked him to leave his nice job at NYSERDA. There were other Democrats and Republicans vying for the seat. It would NOT have been vacant even if Mr. Tonko had neglected to so valiantly offer his services. But the idea of taking a “risk” to pursue personal ambitions of federal office while receiving such a generous retirement is ludicrous. Some families with both parents working scrape by with far less than Mr. Tonko’s large state retirement. Some people who want to start their own business give up their jobs to devote full time to the startup without any kind of steady income. They save, live frugally, and pursue their dreams without dependence upon government. But Mr. Tonko couldn’t take a “risk” without a guarantee for himself at government expense.

Mr. Tonko assured listeners of the debate that he did indeed check with the US House of Representatives to see if it was okay to keep receiving his $64,000 state retirement while getting a six figure salary in the US House. They told him it was legal. So yes, as long as it’s legal, that’s all that matters for Mr. Tonko since he personally benefits. Who cares about what is right? New York State is in deficit because of decades of overspending, including years when Mr. Tonko served in the majority of the New York State Assembly. And Tonko is not exactly known for keeping a lid on spending…

Requesting a suspension of his cushy retirement or donating the money back to New York State would have been a great symbol to the people. The Times Union ran a story (print edition only) about people in Voorheesville with a moderate house paying $9,200/yr in taxes and leaving to get a better home in Oregon for taxes of $2,800/yr. The story pointed out that in ten years, 1.5 million have left New York State. Others were profiled who moved to various other states due to the property tax nightmare. Income taxes may not be the absolute highest in the country, but they’re certainly in the higher end. When considering property tax and a high end income tax, taxes are out of control in New York State, as is spending. But Tonko doesn’t mind double dipping. Some people don’t have any idea where they will be able to come up with their next mortgage payment or when they will find a new job. Some have faced foreclosures. But Tonko enjoys his fabulous US House salary and a fabulous New York State retirement while continuing to work. It’s rather difficult for someone in that scenario to identify with the concerns of common people facing serious problems in this recession. The fact that Mr. Tonko claims not to see a problem with this scenario says a lot about his judgment….which he must use when voting in the US House.

Tonko was asked to grade Obama during the debate. He gave Obama an A-. Perhaps Tonko might examine this video of Obama, class warrior in chief, and consider how Obama’s words might apply to his situation…

Friday, October 15, 2010

I was aware that Dan Maffei had been the beneficiary of radical leftist George Soros, but not Scott Murphy. Then, when looking at a recent press release by Chris Gibson's campaign, I noticed that J Street PAC was Murphy's third largest donor with over $41,000 in donations.

Conservative blogger Yid with Lid released the details last month showing a copy of J Street's tax filing with George Soros as one of the top donors; a third of their revenues to be exact.

Streets leader, Jeremy Ben-Ami has always claimed that Soros gave the group some start-up money, but has not received any money since. That was a lie.

Tax forms I provided to Mr. Lake, reveal that Mr. Soros and his two children, Jonathan and Andrea Soros, contributed a total $245,000 to J Street from one Manhattan address in New York during the fiscal year from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 (see the document embedded below: page 13)

Soro's contributions represent a third of the group's revenue from U.S. sources during the period. Another donor, named Consolacion Esdicul. provided nearly half of J-Streets revenues during the period.

The billionaire George Soros is certainly not representative of NY 20th congressional district, nor their small businesses. In fact, in an interview, George Soros claimed that he was having a wonderful crisis, while the US economy tanked.

What's worse? The other major donor to J Street is China. Last time I checked, China was also not representative of NY-20.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Many NY congressional Democrats are running as pro-small business. As I pointed out, it could come back to haunt them. However, since Democrats are spending a lot of money to sound Pro-Main Street, the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council came out with a rating today in the NY Post to put the matter to bed. The ratings show that NY's congressional caucus is abysmal and all of Upstate's favorite "pro-small business" democrats made the list.

Here are the ratings from the races you are interested in-

Tim Bishop has a great big ZERO.

"Still the One" we need in Washington; John Hall? Small Businesses say ZERO!

The great businessman turned congressman in NY's 20th, Scott Murphy? He got a 7% rating.

Dan Maffei proved that yes, it is possible to score, but score lower than Scott Murphy. He put up a 5%.

Bill Owens topped out all of the congressional Democrats on the list at 23% and Michael Arcuri rated 18%. These guys are the big moderates by the way.

Their ads say that they are great for your businesses, but actual businesses say no way.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Obama is supposed to be president of all the people, whether they vote for his party or not. But what is interesting is that while Obama’s Justice Department worked tirelessly to tell Arizona they could not protect themselves in light of the failure of the Federal government to protect the border, Eric Holder does not seem to be acting so swiftly to ensure the military gets to vote. Sadly, some might conclude that ensuring the military’s right to vote is a low priority to the Obama Administration.

According to a Politico story, the Obama Justice Department has sued Guam to ensure military personnel get to vote. Wow! Way to go, Eric Holder! But there is one teensy tiny little problem. Obama and Holder are doing nothing about a state with a much higher population: good old New York. Has this administration, one that has tried to grow federal power so much, suddenly decided to let the states do their own thing just in time for an election which involves federal seats?

Besides New York City, counties such as Westchester, Putnam, Erie, and Niagara counties have failed to meet the deadline. Erie just so happens to be the county where Carl Paladino comes from. I have yet to see a comment from our own Democrat attorney general Andrew Cuomo, who happens to be running for governor himself, on the matter. The silence is odd, certainly.

One Democrat who has been speaking out about this is Chuck Schumer, himself on the ballot. He is demanding, and rightfully so, overnight mail to ensure these ballots are received in time. Kudos goes to Schumer on this matter. (Yes, see I can and do compliment a Democrat when it’s deserved.) Of course, Schumer is basically in a “safe” seat so he has nothing to worry about.

Another politician who is strangely silent about this is Democrat Scott Murphy (NY 20). Despite working to remove ROTC from Harvard (where he stayed at a dorm building in which Matt Damon also stayed….VERY important, I know), Murphy likes to make people aware that he supports the veterans. He even has a veteran running against him, Colonel Chris Gibson. I just checked Murphy’s congressional and campaign web sites. It’s so strange but despite his telling us he likes the veterans SO much, he has not expressed outrage over the failure of New York State in getting these absentee ballots out to our brave troops. How can this be?

Friday, October 8, 2010

I’m not exactly sure what’s happening “out there” I don’t know who or where the problem started but I do know we’re out of time and if a solution isn’t found soon, we’re in danger of losing the races we’ve focused so much time and energy over the past several months. I would like to point out some things I do know.

First, we all love our country. So much so, we’ve decided to “get off the couch” and write a letter or carry a sign; some of us have even traveled to DC for a rally or two.

Second, we’re all right and wrong at the same time, the “Tea Party” isn’t a party. It’s America at her best. It’s all of us, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent or whatever you feel you need to call yourself. It is people wanting a better life for themselves and their families. It’s what our founders intended. It is us taking pride in ourselves so that we can work towards a better future for our communities and country. It’s a movement that will stay at the forefront of American politics from here on out. So long as we agree to hold every elected official accountable, again, whether they be Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent or whatever whether they call themselves.

Thirdly, I feel confident in stating that we can all agree that Scott Murphy (D-NY 20) and Paul Tonko (D-NY 21) simply do not represent the values and needs of upstate New Yorkers and they must both be held accountable and voted out! As much as I hate to admit it, if we don’t do it this year, they will most certainly be more entrenched and un-beatable next election. Therefore, I recommend that we make room for our differences in the present but we “keep our eye on the prize” and work together to un-elect both Tonko and Murphy. Each has amassed huge amounts of money for their campaigns, compliments of Speaker Pelosi and the rest of the House leadership for their votes for Health Care. Let us send the message this year that your dirty political money can’t beat the will of the people.

Getting rid of Tonko and Murphy are priority number one! I also think the best way to accomplish that goal is to promote Gibson (running for NY 20) and Danz (running for NY 21), and we will hold them accountable. If elected, they’ll be on a very short leash and if they don’t perform, we will vote them out in two years, it’s that simple.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are in a pivotal and historic time. I urge you all to look at the NYS Board of Elections website; you’ll see almost every single elected office in this great state is held by a Democrat, we need to break through that “machine.” Our founders would be proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last two years. Let’s be able to say that same statement in three years from now. Let’s work together, please.

Two weeks ago, a report was released showing that NY was projected to lose two congressional districts once the 2010 census data was finalized. It's sad trend that has plagued NY for several previous redistricting years. Speculation has been that at least one of the potential vanishing districts would be in Upstate NY; most suggest NY-23 or NY-29.

Matt Zeller, Democrat running against Republican Tom Reed for NY's 29th congressional district settled the matter in a threat to his constituents the other day. In speaking to the local Corning Leader, Zeller said: "You'll get representation from Rochester or Buffalo or Syracuse," Zeller said Wednesday. "I've already been told by state Democrats if I win this thing, the seat stays pretty much the way it is. If I lose, this seat goes bye-bye. The people of Corning will be represented by someone from Rochester or Syracuse or Buffalo."

The comment would be innocent had he been warning that State Republicans would make his constituent's district disappear. No, Matt is clearly warning that his own party will punish the voters in his district if they don't vote Zeller in November.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

This is a Republican poll so please take with a grain of salt. However, regardless, the poll has Doheny way, way, way, way ahead. To be precise, 51-37 or 14 points. While I think Doheny is likely to win, I think the poll is most definitely inflated given the fact that Owen's negatives did not prove very high in the poll conducted. His favorable/unfavorable rating is 42-23, while Dohney’s is 37-15.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

This is less of an opinion post (I said "less" and never said "not"….read the whole thing) and more for informational purposes. Here’s an email Scott Murphy’s (D-NY 20) office sent out announcing Congressional Field Offices throughout Saratoga County. Stop by if you have questions or concerns to discuss.

Below is an excerpt from the email:

————————

I am writing to let you know that tomorrow -Thursday, October 7th – my staff will be hosting twelve Congressional Field Offices in your area.

My staff will be there to meet with you to discuss your concerns about local issues, what’s going on in Congress, and assist you with any problems you may be having with the federal government.

If you can’t make it this time, please email me, call my office at 581-8247, or check ScottMurphy.house.gov for future event announcements.

———————-

Yes, I do have a problem. I have a Congressman who I believe has demonstrated a lack of understanding of the US Constitution via some of his votes, especially for his flip flop vote on ObamaCare. Do you think Murphy’s staff could help me with that problem?

The rhetoric is that Democrats care about the Middle Class, the poor, seniors, the children, etc. The rhetoric also claims Republicans supposedly only care for “the rich.”

Recently, a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi was signed by some members of Congress, including our own local member, Scott Murphy, asking that tax cuts for dividends be extended. They are set to expire with other Bush tax cuts at the end of the year. The letter notes that many seniors depend on this income. Of course, Scott Murphy’s signature on that letter gives him the opportunity to claim he stood up for seniors.

But wait! What’s this? On September 29th, 210 Democrats voted to adjourn the US House so they can go campaigning to keep their jobs. They neglected to help the Middle Class avoid an income tax increase as the Bush tax cuts expire and they neglected to help seniors when it comes to dividends. Local Congressmen Murphy (NY 20) and Tonko (NY 21) were among the 210 Democrats who voted to adjourn and therefore skip helping seniors and the Middle Class. I’ll bet Murphy won’t remember that part if he says he stood up for seniors.

People have no idea what to expect. As it stands now, the Middle Class and seniors WILL face tax increases as the Bush tax cuts (remember the rhetoric said they were ONLY for “the rich”) expire. MAYBE this will be taken up in the lame duck session. Maybe there will be too many other things for Pelosi to worry about merely helping seniors and the Middle Class.

Has Nancy Pelosi forgotten how to use a majority? Goodness, she seemed to know how to use it when it came to putting our grandchildren in debt for the “stimulus.” She seemed to understand how to use it for ObamaCare. So if she can wield a majority to spend large amounts of tax money, can’t she use it to truly help the Middle Class and seniors by protecting them from having to give up a higher percentage of their hard-earned money?

Yes, we hear that the mean old Republicans are standing in the way of keeping the Bush tax cuts in place for the middle and lower classes because they insist on keeping all of the Bush tax cuts. (They should know that it’s improper to earn money beyond the threshold defined by Obama and the class envy types!) That excuse doesn’t work. The fact is that the Republicans don’t have the numbers to stop anything. Why do the Democrats care about whether such legislation has “bipartisan” support? If they feel this is the right thing to do, just get the numbers. No need to say “But some Republicans supported it…” Stick to their convictions and just get it through! Nancy Pelosi has the power to ram through whatever her heart desires. Yet, her heart does not seem to have enough desire to help seniors and the Middle Class keep the same percentage of their hard-earned money starting in 2011 as can now.

Imagine the benefits going into the final push of the campaign… The Democrats could get this through, and say THEY saved the Middle Class, spread “fairness,” and stuck it to the rich with absolutely NO help from the Republicans! So what are the Democrats waiting for? Call the House back into session and get it done! Then Nancy can get Harry to call the Senate back in session. Harry’s Democrats can pass it there, and Barry can sign it. Simple.

Why won’t the Democrats use their majority to help the Middle Class and seniors? Why would Scott Murphy sign a letter yet vote to close Congress before the request in the letter has been voted on? Gosh, I’m beginning to think the unthinkable….that all of this alleged “care and concern” about the Middle Class and seniors by Pelosi and her buddies is just empty rhetoric. Say it ain’t so!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Who better than RSM to explain why this is such a tragedy, but regardless, today Doug Hoffman has announced that he will end his campaign as a third party bid on the conservative ballot. Unlike Dede Scozzafava, who backed Democrat Bill Owens, Doug left with an endorsement of Republican Matt Doheny. After which, local Tea Party, UNYTEA, threw their support in for Doheny as well.

Hoffman's name will still appear on the ballot on the Conservative line; however, Hoffman said Tuesday morning that he wants his supporters to vote for Republican Matt Doheny.

"Our nation is at a crossroads, and it is imperative that on Election Day we wrest control of Congress from Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat majority," Hoffman said in a prepared statement. "It was never my intention to split the Republican vote."

"Matt Doheny and I may have differed on some issues during the course of our primary race," Hoffman said. "Now, we must put those differences aside and do what is best for our nation."

Sources close to the story have said repeatedly over the past month that Hoffman's campaign didn't have the financing or staff to be viable this year. His campaign offices in Plattsburgh and Watertown closed after the primary. His main office on Saranac Lake's River Street has usually been closed since then, although there has been some activity visible over the past week.

"My reaction is, Doug has done the right and noble thing," said Mark Barie, chairman of the Upstate New York Tea Party, when informed of Doug Hoffman's decision. "By suspending his campaign, he is giving Matt Doheny a clear shot at the incumbent, Mr. Owens, and increased the likelihood that Matt Doheny will be victorious on Nov. 2."

You will note that Hoffman's name will still appear on the Conservative ballot. While the Libs will try and make this some sort of potential GOP spoiler and while Hoffman will take a few votes, I think the argument is unjustified.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Real Clear Politics thinks so. They have a new article chronicling some of the incumbent Senator's problems in her re-election bid, even though she is in one of the most blue states in the country. A former "Blue Dog" style Democrat the tacked hard to the left after being appointed to Hillary Clinton's old seat last year. She faces a tenacious challenger in Joe DioGuardi-- so it is possible that she might lose.

One poll has Gillibrand with only a one point lead. Downstate liberals distrust and look down on this Upstate-living former "moderate" Congresswoman. Furthermore, Upstaters don't like her hard-left new persona and are tired of the Democrats wrecking the state. So it looks like there's a weakness. But RCP points out:

Let's be clear up front: A straight-up Republican win would be unheard of. No Democratic senator has ever been defeated for re-election in the Empire State, and the last time a non-Democrat won an open seat in New York in a two-way race was in 1958. The typical formula for a non-Democratic win in New York is to have a Republican running on the Liberal Party line who splits the anti-Republican vote with the Democrat; this is in part how Alfonse D'Amato and James Buckley won their Senate races. This won't happen this year - there isn't even an independent Liberal Party in New York anymore.

But it appears that she is trailing big time in Upstate, which has far fewer people than Downstate. However, if enought Downstaters either don't turn out or do not pull the ballot for her she is at least theoretically vulnerable. He'd have to win at least 30% in New York City according to the article to stand a chance-- which it says is possible:

For DioGuardi to equal Pataki's 2002 vote share in New York City, two things have to happen. First, whites have to be excited about voting for him. I think that's possible for two reasons: (1) whites who didn't live on Manhattan were never crazy about Obama in the first place and are presumably ready to cast a protest vote against him today and (2) DioGuardi has an Italian surname. Having attended more than my share of the DiFranco family reunions on the maternal side of my family, I can only attest that the cultural affinity is still pretty important in the Italian-American community. This will help DioGuardi in parts of Queens and in South Brooklyn (and in Staten Island, a notable Republican bastion that is off the map). In fact, this is probably a large reason why DioGuardi is getting 35 percent in the SurveyUSA poll while the other Republican candidates polled are receiving the 25 percent a Republican customarily receives (remember, Paladino is running against a Cuomo).

The article says a DioGuardi win is unlikely. I agree. But it certainly isn't impossible.
Cross posted at Pundit Press.

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